Is "Enron by the Sea" tag apt again?

Today (June 19) the Wall Street Journal asks if San Diego once again merits the apt appellation "Enron by the Sea." (The New York Times originally came up with the oft-repeated description a decade ago.) The Journal tells how in 2009, real estate consultant Jason Hughes offered to renegotiate 550,000 square feet of leases of City office space free of charge. But the City took four years deciding whether to take Hughes's offer or a deeply discounted offer from Cassidy Turley. Eventually, Cassidy Turley got the nod from a panel appointed by the City. But current Mayor Bob Filner overturned the panel's recommendation and went with Hughes, saying the deal would save the City $15.7 million over six years. Cassidy Turley got the job as a result of politics, says Filner. Now Cassidy Turley says the mayor's choice of Hughes was strictly political. Cassidy Turley says "Nothing is actually for free."

The complete WSJ report is quite interesting, though a bit odd in that Jerry Sanders is never named. Also of note is that the three companies mentioned in the article, Hughes Marino, Cassidy Turley, and Jones Lang LaSalle, are all represented on the board of the Downtown San Diego Partnership.

HonestGovernment: I don't know that the Journal was protecting Sanders by leaving out his name. When one is writing these stories, and has been allotted only a certain number of words, sometimes the best course is not to clutter up the story with too many names. Best, Don Bauder

Goldsmith is a jackleg lawyer. Goldsmith apparently believes that Mayor Filner cannot break wind without his let. Goldsmith should sit back, shut up, go to sleep, and collect his paycheck like John Witt did. Witt never said anything, rocked the boat, or caused any problems.